I Tested 4 Wood Glue Dispensers: These are the Best (2024)
Wood glue is an essential part of many woodworking projects, but it can be a pain to use.
That’s why wood glue dispensers have become so popular. These will make your job SO much easier and I highly recommend picking one up, especially considering the price.
Want to find the best wood glue dispenser you can buy? I tested several of the best wood glue dispensers available so you can find which one works for you! Let’s dig in!
In a hurry? The FastCap 16oz Glu-Bot is the best wood glue dispenser, as it’s precise, easy to use, has a large capacity, and it’s a pretty good value for the money.
Quick Answer: Here are My Favorite Wood Glue Dispensers! 👇
Best Wood Glue Applicator for Woodworkers and DIY Projects
- FastCap 16oz Glu-Bot – #1 Best Overall
- Rockler Wood Glue Applicator Set – Most Versatile & Highest Quality
- GlueMate 450 – Best Value
- Wolfcraft Glue Bottle – Easiest to Use
1. FastCap 16oz Glu-Bot – #1 Best Overall
- Designed with a 2-chamber system that feeds the glue from the bottom up through the secondary side chamber,…
- The Easy-Squeeze Bottle Features a Unique Two-Chamber Design That Pulls the Glue Back After Squeezing to…
- This Same Design Allows the Glue Bottle to Be the First Glue Bottle to Make Vertical Application Easy and…
The FastCap 16oz Glu-Bot is an easy-to-use wood glue dispenser that’s superior to others for several reasons, and it’s sold at an affordable price.
This 16 oz glue dispenser is made of polyethylene, so it’s resistant to most solvents, except those which are especially corrosive; it can also be melted by extreme heat (80°C+).
Thanks to its anti-drip and anti-spill design, this bottle will only dispense glue where you want it.
Specifically, it uses a two-chamber reservoir, so the glue gets pulled back after you’re done dispensing, eliminating drip.
Plus, the bottle will continue to dispense a smooth stream of glue, even when the glue supply is running low.
This bottle also resists skinning and clogging well, and it comes with a Yorker tip for thin glue lines and a blade tip for wide glue lines. This wood glue applicator also comes with a guide for more precise applications.
What I Liked:
- Great value (considering all it can do)
- Can dispense glue in both thin & thick lines making it great for many different projects
- Decent capacity so you don’t have to refill it as often
- Stable base makes it easy to store
- Always dispenses fresh glue with limited clogging
What I Didn’t Like:
- Bottle can leak no matter how tight you screw the cap (leave upright only)
- Changing glues is tough (requires thorough cleaning)
- Not ideal for thicker glues and solvents
- Better for vertical applications, but still not great (in terms of drips and runs)
My Thoughts
Overall, the FastCap GluBot is the best wood glue dispenser mainly because it’s easy to use, effective, and affordable. It’s also incredibly stable when edge gluing, and it can hold most glues and solvents without a problem. I’ve used this wood glue applicator for several years and love it. My only real complaint is that if you want to switch glues you’ll have to clean the dispenser – but this is a problem with every dispenser. But considering the price, this is the best wood glue dispenser for any woodworker.
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2. Rockler Wood Glue Applicator Set – Most Versatile & Best Quality
- Wood Glue Applicator Bottle Set: All your gluing needs in one versatile, easy-to-clean wood glue for woodworking kit! Our glue…
- Evenly Apply Glue: Use the glue for wood working 8 oz ounce bottle, roller applicator, dowel hole nozzle, biscuit slot tip to…
- Centering Attachment: The glue brushes woodworking centering attachment fits onto the Standard Spout to keep your glue bead locked…
The Rockler Wood Glue Applicator Set is ideal if your woodworking projects involve a lot of precise gluing, since it comes with a handful of well-designed bottle attachments that don’t just make gluing easier but more efficient as well.
Plus, the bottle—and all the attachments—are easy to clean, so you don’t have to worry about anything being rendered ineffective by dried glue.
The bottle is smaller (8 oz), but it can hold a variety of glues and solvents. Still, because it’s plastic, it can’t hold corrosive solvents.
Along with the 8 oz bottle, this set includes:
- (1) Roller
- (1) Standard glue spout
- (1) Wood glue brush
- (1) Dowel hole nozzle
- (1) Biscuit-slot tip
- (1) Red cap
- (1) Cleaning brush
A centering attachment is also included, and this makes edge gluing easier, since it’ll ensure you apply glue in a straight line.
And unlike other bottles on this list, this set comes with a funnel, so filling is simple and mess-free.
What I Liked:
- Set comes with multiple attachments that can be extremely useful
- Compact and easy to store & transport
- Easy-to-clean bottle & attachments
- Bottle can hold numerous wood glues & solvents
- Less wasteful since glue is applied precisely & sparingly
What I Didn’t Like:
- More expensive than other wood glue dispensers
- Not as much capacity as other bottles
- Keeping track of all the attachments can be a pain
- Some attachments don’t form an air-tight seal
My Thoughts
If you don’t mind spending a little extra money, this Rockler Wood Glue Dispenser is the best wood glue dispenser you can buy. In terms of quality and versatility, this wood glue dispenser set has all others beat. It comes with a handful of extremely useful attachments, all of which are easy to clean and use. It has a slightly smaller capacity than the GluBot dispenser above, but it’s still plenty big enough for just about anyone. I especially love the roller applicator that allows you to spread glue across a larger surface.
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3. GlueMate 450 – Best Value
- Holds 15oz. of wood glue or other liquids
- Precision double chamber design dispenses glue easily and smoothly
- Includes two tips – precision doweling tip and flat biscuit tip
The two most appealing things about the GlueMate 450 is its 15 oz capacity and its low price.
Like the FastCap 16oz Glu-Bot, it has a two-chamber system, meaning it can apply glue at any angle.
The dispenser is made of plastic, so it can dispense not only glue but most solvents too.
Lastly, this dispenser comes with a fine cone applicator and a flat applicator.
What I Liked:
- Very attractive price
- Two-chamber system prevents drips, runs & clogging
- Both applicators form a tight seal when screwed on
- Two applicators allow for fine beads and thick beads
What I Didn’t Like:
- Bulky shape can make it somewhat difficult to use
- Only comes with two attachments
- The caps can be easy to lose
- Dispenses glue slowly, so you might need to work fast
My Thoughts
This GlueMate 450 is the most affordable wood glue applicator on this list, and not because it’s a cheap product. In fact, it has a large capacity—just 1 oz smaller than the best wood glue applicator—as well as an efficient two-chamber release system. However, it is rather bulky, and this can make applying glue tricky. Plus, it only comes with two attachments—there’s no wood glue roller, no centering attachment, and no biscuit-slot tip. Still, it works well in tight spaces and can efficiently spread glue on numerous materials. Overall, this is a great wood glue dispenser for the money and I would recommend it for those on a budget.
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4. Wolfcraft Glue Bottle – Easiest to Use
- Comes with a roller applicator head to spread glue smoothly and evenly over larger surface areas
- Comes with a grooved biscuit shaped head that gets down into biscuit slots to provide even spreading for a…
- Works with white, yellow and liquid hide glue
Because of its compact and simple design, the Wolfcraft Glue Bottle is the easiest wood glue dispenser to use, even if you’re a novice.
It comes with a grooved, biscuit-shaped applicator and a wood glue roller. Therefore, it can apply glue in tight spots, and it can put down a lot of glue quickly.
This glue bottle can hold 8 oz of white, yellow, or hide glue, and its simple cylindrical shape allows for easy application.
Unlike other glue bottles, this one doesn’t have a two-chamber reservoir, so edge gluing is a bit more difficult.
That said, if you’re well-versed with the ins and outs of wood glue applications, it should be easy to efficiently spread glue with this applicator.
Lastly, it’s only a couple dollars more than the GlueMate 450—the best value wood glue dispenser on this list—so going with this dispenser can definitely save money in the long run.
What I Liked:
- Pretty good value for the price
- Efficiently dispense glue with minimal squeezing pressure
- Best glue bottle (in terms of shape)
- Good choice for professional woodworkers who need a precise application
What I Didn’t Like:
- Biscuit-shaped applicator is prone to dried glue clogging
- Really only good as a glue dispenser as I found other liquids will clog it
- This plastic bottle isn’t the strongest
- Doesn’t come with a rubber cover
- Limited capacity at just 8 oz
My Thoughts
As far as ease of use is concerned, the Wolfcraft Glue Bottle is a great choice. It’s compact and cylindrical, so it’s easy to grip. And since gripping it isn’t an issue, it can efficiently dispense glue in tight spaces. Plus, you can attach a roller applicator if you need to apply a lot of glue quickly. And at only a couple bucks more than the most affordable glue dispenser, I’ve got no problem saying this dispenser will also get you tremendous bang for your buck. That said, this wood glue dispenser wasn’t nearly as versatile as the Rockler wood glue bottle dispenser so if you’re willing to spend a few bucks more, I’d recommend the Rockler dispenser.
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What to Consider When Buying a Wood Glue Dispenser
Capacity
The best wood glue dispensers hold 8-16 oz of wood glue.
The more capacity a wood glue dispenser has, the easier it’ll be to tackle large gluing tasks in one go without having to refill it.
But just because a wood glue dispenser can hold a lot of glue doesn’t mean it’s an all-around good bottle. In fact, if the bottle is not designed well, the larger capacity can actually be a hinderance.
On the other hand, 16-ounce bottles may be large, but if they have a simple design and can be gripped easily, the larger capacity is only an advantage.
Precision
The best wood glue dispensers are also precise, and usually they come with several applicators to ensure precision no matter the task.
That said, even with the right applicator, you may fail to apply glue correctly if you’re not careful.
It’s best to use a wood glue dispenser that has a drip tip, since these work well with vertical surfaces and odd angles.
Lastly, precision and ease of use go hand in hand. Therefore, if it’s hard to use the bottle, dispensing lines of glue with precision will be more challenging, especially in narrow spaces.
In terms of precision and versatility, the Rockler wood glue bottle dispenser is the best of the best.
Ease of Use
Glue dispensers can sometimes be tricky to operate, so you’ll want to look for one that’s simple to use.
If a glue dispenser isn’t easy to use, you won’t be able to achieve the results you want, and you’ll probably waste glue more than anything else.
Sure, you could apply wood glue straight out of the bottle, and in some cases this isn’t a problem—like when you only have to put down a few lines of glue.
But when you’re going to be doing a lot of gluing, and you have to get glue in some pretty tight spaces, you’ll need to be able to grip the bottle well, otherwise you won’t get even coats.
The easiest glue applicator to use is the glue roller, but this is only good when you need to apply glue to a large surface; this won’t work in narrow spaces or on odd angles, of course.
Mess-Free
Glue can be pretty messy if your applicator is inadequate. Therefore, you should only use a glue dispenser that comes with a clog-free tip.
Also, don’t fill your glue bottle to the top; if the bottle isn’t in an upright position, it could leak through the cap.
Finally, if the glue applicator doesn’t create a mess, it’ll be easy to prevent clogging, and you can count on a precise application for most projects.
How to Use a Wood Glue Dispenser
1. Fill the Dispenser
Once you’ve selected the wood glue dispenser you’re going to use, fill it with white, yellow, or hide glue. Virtually all glue bottles are capable of holding these glues. You can check out these best wood glues to find which is best for your project.
Note: Don’t fill the glue bottle up to the top, otherwise you may apply too much at first.
2. Choose Your Applicator
The best wood glue dispensers come with numerous applicators, since there are times when you may need something other than the standard spout.
For example, perhaps you have to cover a large surface, in which case the roller applicator will be best. And when you need to put down a thin line, choose a cone applicator with a clog-free tip.
3. Release the Glue
When you’re ready, turn the bottle upside down and gently apply pressure to release the glue. Move the glue bottle slowly along the line, making sure every inch gets enough glue.
But don’t apply glue too slow, or else it may dry too quickly.
If the glue dispenser you’re using came with a centering attachment, use this to achieve a precise line of glue.
You can check out my guide to applying wood glue for more help!
Final Thoughts
Glue dispensers can be extremely convenient when applying wood glue on your projects. They can make your job easier while helping you save glue and keep your area mess free.
The best wood glue dispenser is the GluBot Wood Glue Dispenser because of its quality and price. If you’re looking for something more versatile, the Rockler Glue Applicator Set is the best you can buy.
Finally, if you want something less expensive, the GlueMate 450 is a solid choice that I would recommend.